Tampa Bay Rays finish sweep of Detroit Tigers, 4-2

Detroit Tigers catcher James McCann, left, talks with starting pitcher Jordan Zimmerman on the mound during the third inning against the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP photo)

By DICK SCANLON
Associated Press
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Even after his first three-hit game of the season and a home run, Kevin Kiermaier knew the focus deserved to be elsewhere Wednesday after the Tampa Bay Rays completed a three-game sweep of the Detroit Tigers with a 4-2 victory.
C.J. Cron’s three-run home run in the seventh inning carried the Rays to their fifth straight win, and five pitchers held the opponent to two runs or fewer for the 12th time in the Rays’ past 15 home games, in which they are 14-1.“These past couple of weeks have shown you that we can compete with the best teams in baseball,” Kiermaier said. “You see a lot of people growing in here, and it starts with our pitching staff and what they’ve done.”
The Rays’ “bullpen-days” formula is “different from what any other team has ever done in the history of the game,” Kiermaier added, “and we’ve found a way to make it work.”
Cron’s 18th homer came off Jordan Zimmermann after singles by Kiermaier and Matt Duffy.
It turned a gritty start by Zimmermann (4-1) into a loss, and the Tigers right-hander blamed himself for challenging Cron on a 2-0 pitch.“My stubbornness came in and I thought ‘Throw the slider now on the (outside) corner, paint it and get this guy out,'” Zimmermann said. “Of course, those are the ones you hang. Three-run homer and we lose the game.”
Cron and Kiermaier each had three hits for the Rays, who have won 14 of 18, and Joey Wendle extended his hitting streak to 11 games with double.
James McCann’s two-run homer off Matt Andriese in the fourth had given Detroit a 2-1 lead that lasted until Cron’s homer. It was McCann’s sixth homer of the season.
The Tigers, who struck out 14 times against five Tampa Bay pitchers, have lost four straight and 18 of 22.
Rookie left-hander Ryan Yarbrough (8-4) got the win after giving up one hit in three innings of relief. Sergio Romo pitched the ninth for his 11th save in 16 opportunities.
Zimmermann (4-1) gave up four runs and 11 hits in 6 2/3 innings, striking out five. He threw a season-high 105 pitches.
The Rays’ Hunter Wood pitched one inning in his first major league start, giving up two hits while striking out two.